This invention relates to scanning imaging systems, particularly to methods and apparatus for limiting the amount of image data acquired by a scanning imaging array to data corresponding to object characteristics of interest.
In a relatively recent development, an array of miniature microscopes having corresponding optical detectors is used to scan one or a plurality of objects and produce a high-resolution electronic image thereof. Where the array is used to scan a single object, it is also known as an “array microscope”, though the object, such as a biological specimen for pathological analysis, may have multiple features of interest. In contrast, multiple objects may comprise, for example, multiple elements of a micro-array of biological samples.
Typically, the microscope array comprises a two-dimensional array of high-resolution miniature microscopes whose lateral fields of view are much less than their microscope diameters. Consequently, successive rows in the scan direction are staggered in the perpendicular direction so that the full width of the object to be viewed is captured by contiguous images. Microscope arrays of this type are capable of diffraction-limited resolution as small as 0.5 microns; consequently, a much larger amount of data may be produced in a single scan than is necessary to image the feature of interest. For example, a microscope slide that is ten square centimeters in area will produce 4,000,000,000 image points; yet, the feature of interest in the object may be as small as one hundred square millimeters, requiring only 400,000,000 image points of data. Thus, a large amount of data that has no value is produced, which uses valuable storage capacity and processing time.
In addition, it is often desirable to determine the color of a specimen, or regions of a specimen, but not necessarily with the same, high-resolution required for structural analysis of the specimen. Also it may be desirable to control the gain of individual elements or selected groups of elements of the scanning microscope array based on the apparent density of the specimen at various locations, but not necessarily with the same, high-resolution required for structural analysis. Moreover, color detection and gain control element-by-element of the scanning microscope array is complicated, time consuming and expensive.
Accordingly, it would be desirable to have a way of limiting the amount of image data that is captured by a scanning microscope array to data corresponding to object features of interest. It would also be desirable to provide for color detection, adjustment of detector gain and other analyses without high-resolution imaging where unnecessary.